Field of the Embodiments of the Invention
Embodiments of the present invention relate generally to human-vehicle interfaces, and, more specifically, to a multitouch chording language.
Description of the Related Art
A modern vehicle typically includes a steering wheel with a collection of fixed-function buttons for controlling various auxiliary components within the vehicle. For example, a conventional steering wheel could include volume buttons for increasing and decreasing the volume of the stereo system. The set of buttons placed on the steering wheel usually provides access to a limited subset of the functions that the driver may wish to perform. In particular, most modern steering wheels only provide controls related to the stereo system and cruise control. These limitations arise from the fact that the steering wheel provides limited area on which to place fixed-function buttons.
One problem with the approach described above is that the driver of the vehicle is required to remove at least one hand from the steering wheel in order to control any auxiliary components that lack corresponding buttons on the steering wheel. For example, since conventional steering wheels usually do not include buttons related to climate control, the driver must remove one of their hands from the steering wheel in order to adjust the temperature, fan speed, air conditioner (A/C), and so forth. This arrangement is problematic because the driver must divert focus away from the act of driving in order to interact with certain auxiliary components. Consequently, the ability of the driver to control the vehicle may be reduced, thereby diminishing the safety of the driver and other occupants of the vehicle.
As the foregoing illustrates, a typical steering wheel includes fixed-function buttons for controlling only a subset of the auxiliary components in the vehicle. Consequently, the driver is required to divert attention away from driving in order to access the other auxiliary components, potentially reducing the ability of the driver to safely operate the vehicle.